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New Ministry Fits Right In

Tribune photo by D’ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

First Baptist Church of Brandon pastor, the Rev. Tommy Green, left, shows Kevin Ohme, director of the Ministry and Activities Center, some of his basketball moves.

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

dlwhite@tampatrib.com

Published: January 28, 2009

BRANDON - Sweatpants, T-shirt and tennis shoes aren't Alice Stockley's usual church attire. But as a member of First Baptist Church of Brandon's newest ministry, Stockley blends right in wearing her workout gear.

Although it's only been open since October and the church celebrated its grand opening Jan. 17, the new Ministry and Activities Center at First Baptist already has 1,500 members and continues recruiting residents seeking an alternative to traditional fitness clubs on a daily basis, said the Rev. Tommy Green, the church pastor.

"It's exceeded all my expectations," Green said of the community's response to getting physically fit in a Christian atmosphere. "This is a whole new level of ministry outreach into the community, so we didn't know what to expect. But it's been unbelievable. There's been a constant flow of people in here."

While churches have built day-care centers, retirement homes and schools to attract members, Kevin Ohme, director of the new center, said it's the only church-operated fitness center of its kind in the state. In fact, he's been unable to find a similar facility anywhere else in the country.

"The closest comparison I've found is the ROC in Germantown, Tennessee," Ohme said.

A mission of Germantown Baptist Church, the Germantown Recreation Outreach Center is an 83,000-square-foot nonprofit Christian fitness center featuring basketball courts, weight-training rooms and racquetball courts. The ROC opened 10 years ago and has about 2,000 regular patrons.

At 50,000 square feet, the MAC may not be as large, but it makes up for size with its variety of state-of-the-art fitness equipment, an indoor walking track, racquetball and basketball courts, a group exercise room, a children's play area featuring a giant tree house for climbing and sliding, a coffee bar and a computer room with 16 PCs.

The congregation is paying for the $4.8 million center at Morgan Street and Parsons Avenue, enabling the church to open the center up to the community at reduced fees, Green said. So far, the church has raised $1.5 million.

"This isn't about business. We're not making money from this," Green said. "We wanted to create a place for the community to gather for health and fellowship in a Christian setting and invite those who don't know Christ to create a relationship with Him."

The one-time registration fee is $35. Membership fees for church members are $25 a month for individuals and $40 a month for families. Nonmembers pay $33 a month for individuals and $55 for families. All senior citizens age 65 and older pay no membership fees.

The free membership wasn't the main reason Alice Stockley, 72, and her husband, Edward, 79, joined. Members of Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church in Valrico, the Stockleys said they were attracted by the center's friendly, Christian environment.

Millie Warren, 77, instructor of the senior fitness class at MAC, begins each session with prayer and devotion. Aerobics classes are accompanied by Christian music. And MAC members are asked to refrain from wearing skimpy workout clothing and using offensive language.

"The atmosphere is very different than traditional fitness centers," Green said. "People come here for the right reasons."

Ed Stockley, who had a quadruple bypass following two heart attacks, agreed. He has a treadmill at home that he bought to help him stay in shape, but he doesn't use it often because he finds the exercise boring. He found the senior fitness classes at the MAC anything but tedious.

"I'm glad I came," he said. "It's a fun class. It makes me feel good."

During its short time open, MAC also has become a popular hangout for middle- and high-school students, especially Wednesday nights, which are reserved for youth groups. Young people gravitate between the basketball courts and the game room.

"It's so great to see this place filled with 200 kids on a Wednesday night who are able to play basketball and socialize in a safe environment," Green said.

Neva Gadd, a member of Revival Outreach Center in Dover, said she tried joining a traditional fitness club but found it difficult to make friends.

"For me, it's more than exercise," she said. "It's about friendship and a Christian presence. No matter what your religion, everyone is welcome here.

Virginia Buttocovola, 72, a member of New Life Baptist Church in Brandon, agreed.

"It's a place where you can socialize, make new friends and see old friends," she said. "It's given me the incentive I need to get in shape."

Green said it was part of his vision to attract people from churches throughout the community.

About 70 percent of the members of the ROC in Germantown are from outside the church, which has 10,000 members. Green hopes the fitness center will be equally attractive to the 5,500 members in his congregation and people who attend other churches or don't go to church at all.

Open seven days a week beginning at 5 a.m. Monday through Friday, the MAC has two full-time and six part-time employees and a slew of volunteers who lead classes, offer tours and orientation and cover the coffee shop and front desk.

Green tapped Ohme, a member of First Baptist since 1995 and former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, to oversee the ministry.

Ohme said it's a perfect fit for him.

"I've definitely been blessed," he said. "It's an interesting job. There's something new every day. And there is definitely a demand for this type of facility in the community."

Green is among the MAC's most faithful users. A former basketball star, Green enjoys shooting baskets and using the weight-training room. As a result, he's lost 40 pounds and a load of stress.

For information, call (813) 315-3280 or visit fbcbrandon .org.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampa trib.com.

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